Anger as thieves steal lifeline

A woman who suffered an horrific brain injury on holiday eight years ago has hit out at callous thieves who “stole her freedom.”

Nichola Kingsley, who spent two months in a coma and had to learn to talk and walk again after suffering a seizure in Thailand, got up one morning to find her mobility scooter had been stolen from outside her central Blackpool home.

The 34-year-old had saved up to buy the scooter, which provided her with independence, allowing her to get out and about. It has since been recovered on Grange Park, but badly damaged.

Nichola – a top saleswoman before she collapsed while visiting Thailand – has had to pay for the repairs, and fork out for additional security measures, including a camera and alarm.

She said: “It took eight years to rebuild my life, my final goal was getting independence, getting from A to B is something people take for granted.

“Getting the scooter felt like heaven, I always double lock it and thought I lived in a safe place. I never imagined this would happen – the damage was so bad, no one can understand why anyone would do this.

“I have it back now, but the insurance wouldn’t pay the £500 for the repair, because it was outside locked up, not covered over.

“Now I have to put a camera up for safety, having paid for the repair and get myself an alarm, too. I felt safe before, but now I feel scared – it’s so sad.

“When I looked downstairs and couldn’t see where my scooter was that morning, I thought it was a dream.

“I felt like the scooter had given me my happiness.

“I rang the police and they took the details. Then I got the news it was found on Grange Park, I was so glad I could get it back, but couldn’t believe how bad the damage was.

“I cried knowing it had been taken away by bad people and they might do it again to someone else.

“Everyone – Rob, from Read Mobility Workshop in Blackpool, who fixed it, and my family – have been so supportive and I can’t tell you how good it is to have the scooter back. But I can’t believe anyone would steal it.”

The theft happened around two weeks ago. The scooter was recovered several days later.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police confirmed that officers had received a report of the scooter being stolen.